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Skyscraper envy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It's hard not to be impressed by this 2011 video of a 15-storey tower going up in China in just 30 days. Ignore the pompous music and marvel at the night-becomes-day pace. The trick, if you can call it that, lies in the prefabrication of steel-and-concrete blocks that can be hoisted into position, just as bricks form a wall. Think Lego meets PC. Modular buildings aren't new, but the technique wasn't seen as applicable to skyscrapers until Broad Sustainable Building entered the picture. Based in Changsha, central China, Broad ('Yuanda') is known for making giant air-con systems; its founder and CEO Zhang Yue has built an estimated fortune of $860 million. In 2008, Zhang began experimenting with prefab construction that he says makes for buildings that are cheaper to build and consume less concrete and water. Architects have taken note of Broad's innovative approach rather than its aesthetics: the buildings are barely distinguishable from others in China's drab cityscapes. Zhang is a self-taught engineer, not an architect, and it shows.

But the biggest splash was for Broad's announcement last year that it would build the world's tallest tower. That was guaranteed to draw attention, not least for the historical correlation between skyscraper completions and economic crashes. Called 'Sky City', the proposed tower in Changsha (where else?) was designed to house over 30,000 people in a structure with 104 elevators that tops out at 838 meters, taller than Dubai's Burj Tower. And this giant, earthquake-proof structure was to be put up in 90 days. Yes, days. The cost was reportedly a steal: $1,500 per square meter, compared to $15,000 for the Burj Tower. Cue endless superlatives about Chinese ingenuity and hand-wringing over Western decline. Broad basked in the publicity and said that it was gearing up to start in November, subject to government approval.

So where is the world's tallest building? Apparently still in the factory in pieces. According to Oriental Outlook magazine [in Chinese], authorities in Changsha have withheld permits for Sky City because of concerns over safety, congestion and environmental impact. Broad signed an agreement last June with Wangcheng district government that budgeted the project at up to RMB4 billion ($645 million). This plan was based on completion in January. Broad had already acquired the land for RMB389 million ($62 million) Now it seems that Broad needs to argue its case again to regulators. Oriental Outlook reports that local experts aren't too convinced by the technology and concerned about traffic congestion in the area (those 30,000 residents). There's also the copycat problem: other districts in Changsha (population: 7 million) may want their own skyscrapers, making it even harder for urban planners. Presumably Broad would be only too happy to oblige. After all, it's a quick turnaround.

Calls to Broad's marketing department didn't shed any light on Sky City. An official told FORBES that she couldn't disclose any information about the project and didn't want to comment on the starting date. Oriental Outlook said that prefab units were being made at Broad's factories on the assumption that Sky City will reach for the sky at some point. The foot-dragging on Sky City comes as China's economic chiefs try to coax localities into higher quality growth, not just investing for the sake of it and piling up unsustainable debt. Many have responded by cutting growth targets. It's unclear if Broad's world-beating tower will make the cut. If it does, you can expect to see it captured on time-lapse film.